1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to motion transducers and more particularly pertains to a method of and apparatus for converting a linear reciprocating motion to a rotary motion and vice versa. Even more particularly, the invention involves such conversion using a liquid as a working fluid, and also involves the optional provision of an internal combustion engine productive of one of such motions as outputs applied to the transducer to obtain the other form of motion as output.
In its broadest sense, the present invention involves hydraulically coupling first and second variable volume units, wherein the coupled volume of the first unit varies in relation to a rotary motion and wherein the coupled volume of the second unit varies in relation to a linear reciprocating motion. More specifically, the rotary motion of the first unit is that a rotary shaft operatively connected by an eccentric and a rotor to vary the coupled volume of a trochoidal chamber, with the reciprocating motion of the second unit being that of a piston in a cylindrical chamber. The arrangement is such that reciprocating motion of the piston can be brought about by forcing rotation of the rotary shaft; or conversely, forced reciprocation of the piston will cause rotation of the rotary shaft. The illustrated embodiments of the invention each show an input of reciprocating motion with a resultant rotary motion output, and in each case show the use of a two-stroke or four-stroke internal combustion engine to effect the input reciprocating motion of a piston.
Rotary internal combustion engines, particularly those involving a rotor operating in a trochoidal chamber as in the Wankel engine have become widely known in the last decade or so. Indeed, such an engine can have its rotary output applied to drive the rotary shaft of the trochoidal-type fluid unit to ultimately obtain a reciprocating motion as output.
2. Description of Related Art
The present invention is related in part to conventional two- and four-stroke cycle internal combustion engines incorporating a rectilinearly reciprocating piston, and is also related in part to conventional 2:3 and 3:4 Wankel-type internal combustion engines that incorporate a rotor mounted on an eccentric.